Dead bird found at Horrocks Beach suspected to be northernmost bird flu case in Australia

A dead seabird found on Horrocks Beach near Northampton this week has been classified as a “presumed positive” case of H5 bird flu.

In an update on Friday afternoon, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development stated further testing on the dead petrel had been “unable to definitively determine H5 bird flu virus through viral sequencing..”

“It is considered highly likely this bird was infected with H5 bird flu based on the H5 test results, species involved, coastal location and the broader epidemiological picture,” DPIRD stated.

The tiny coastal enclave of Horrocks Beach is home to the northernmost case of confirmed or presumed H5 bird flu in Australia.

Authorities revealed on Wednesday that the bird was the Mid West’s first suspected positive case of the deadly bird flu strain.

In a statement, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development confirmed two new suspected positive detections of H5 bird flu after preliminary WA testing of dead petrels, including one at Horrocks, near Northampton. The other was observed at Mullaloo Beach in Perth’s northern suburbs.

The Mullaloo bird was on Friday confirmed to be a positive case of H5.

“WA is responding to both cases (Northampton and Mullaloo) with heightened surveillance in the coastal areas,” DPIRD stated.

This bring the number of confirmed or presumed positive cases of the deadly bird flu strain in WA to seven, stretching from Esperance to Northampton.

Samples of the Horrocks bird had been tested by the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness.

Nationally, 13 confirmed or presumed positive results of H5 bird flu have been reported, including 12 wild migratory seabirds, and one confirmed detection announced on Friday in a greater crested tern found near Robe in South Australia. This is the first confirmed detection in an Australian non-migratory seabird.

“Importantly, at this time, there is no evidence of any large-scale deaths in wildlife, nor any evidence of infection in poultry or in our agricultural production system,” DPIRD stated.

The dead petrel at Horrocks was reported by Karan Moxham, who was walking her dog along the beach when she noticed the bird,

“The dog came across it first, of course, and I knew immediately that it needed to be reported,” she said.

“Knowing that there’s the bird flu issue going on, and knowing that we don’t normally see that kind of bird alive at Horrocks, never mind dead.”

Ms Moxham reported the dead bird to the emergency animal disease hotline, and said it was gone when she walked along the beach the next day.

“I think everybody needs to be alert and most of it has been down south, and I thought maybe it’s good that people are aware that it’s not just down south. You know, it can be further north as well,” she said.

This latest case comes after Geraldton residents waited several days to find out whether a giant petrel sent for testing from a city beach was a carrier of the disease. Further testing determined late last month that the bird was not infected with H5 bird flu.

At the time, Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis remained calm and advised the public that finding dead birds on the coast was not uncommon.

“I’m advised it’s not unusual for these type of sea birds, these migratory birds to be found along the West Australian coast, particularly this time of year, when weather events can blow them off course,” she said.

“And so it is not a concern that these birds were found, I guess, because of the species, the migratory nature of these birds. That’s why it was determined that there should be tests.“

Community members are encouraged to keep an eye out for any suspected cases, and to report sick or dead wildlife.

Experts have warned that with the cases spread over such a large geographical area, Australia must be prepared for the potential “devastating” impact on local wildlife.

‘’It’s extremely nerve‑racking,” Invasive Species Council’s Dr Carol Booth told AAP.

“We’re very concerned that the next report will be of mainland wildlife being infected.”

There was a “bit of room for hope” considering native wildlife had not yet been impacted, she said.

‘’But given the climbing numbers and the extent of the geographic spread of those cases, it’s of great concern,’‘ she said.

“We really need to be prepared for what could be a really devastating time ahead of us.’‘

DPIRD urges anyone who sees sick or dead wildlife to avoid handling the animals and call the EAD Hotline on 1800 675 888.

There have been more than 1400 reports from WA to the EAD hotline since WA’s first confirmed case on June 19.

“While not every report will result in birds needing to be collected or tested, every report plays an important role in helping understand what is happening in the environment,” a DPIRD spokesperson said.